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B. vB. ALLEN. WHIFPLBTREB.

(No Model.)

No. 448,105. Patented Mar. 10, 1891.

NAAM. .MTV VB V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. ALLEN, OF HANEORD, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, WILLIAMHENRY VILSON, AND EDWARD VEISBAUM, OF SAME PLACE.

WHIFFLETREE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,105, dated March10, 1891.

Application filed August 30, 1890. Serial No. 363,493. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. ALLEN, of Hanford, in the county ofTulare and State of California, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Spring Attachments for Singletrees, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists in a spring traceholder in the form of a springattachment for singletrees of novel construction, substantially ashereinafter shown and described, and more particularly pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l represents a view in perspective of a vehicle or wagon, inparte, having shafts provided with my improved spring attachment. Fig. 2is a sideview of said spring atachment in itsnormal position, and Fig. 3is a side view of the same attachment under tension or after pull on thesin gletree or trace connection has been made.

A A indicate the shafts of the vehicle, and B the cross-bar connectingsaid shafts and which virtually forms the support for the springattachment to the singletree.

C is the singletree, to the outer ends of which the trace-straps (nothere shown) may be attached, as usual.

D is the spring attachment for the singletree and which serves to carrythe latter.

This attachment is in the form of a double or bifurcated coil spring, ofsuitably-tempered steel, composed of two coils b b, arrangedapproximately parallel with each other orside by side and terminating inlegs or arms c Z7. This spring is riveted or otherwise firmly attachedby its arms c to the cross-bar or support B, and is arranged to passback of and over the same by its bent arms d, which ineline toward eachother and meet in a common center portion e, where the bifurcatedconstruction of the spring terminates. At this meeting portion or end e,which forms the free end of the spring, said spring D is pivoted, as atf, to the singletree, that thus is freel to swivel or vibrate from itsmiddle as a center of motion about said pivot f to meet the requirementsof opposite side pulls applied to the ends of the singletree by thetrace-straps. Flexible loops or straps s s are fastened to the cross-barB and receive the ends of the singletree through them toact as stops tothe swiveling motion of the singletree and prevent it from vibrating toofar and to limit the pull of said tree on the spring attachment. By thisconstruction and application of the spring D not only is the necessaryvibratory motion of the singletree retained, but shock to the shouldersof the animal in the shafts is avoided and the full advantage of thespring attachment is obtained. Such spring attachment consequentlyessentially differs from other spring attachments for trace connectionsin which the springs are attached tothe cross-bar of `the shaft or poleand the traces hooked to the ends of the springs.

The invention can be equally well applied to a vehicle having a poleinstead of shafts by using the ordinary pivoted doubletree, which isapplied to the pole as the support for the spring attachment, andfastening a spring D to each end thereof and pivoting such springs attheir -closed or free ends to the usual two singletrees--that is, onesingletree over each end of the doubletree. As a spring attachment forsingletrees the invention, however, and its action are the same as whenonly one singletree is used and the spring carrying it attached to thecross-bar of a shaft-vehicle, as illustrated in Fig. 1. By means of thisspring attachment vehicles may be drawn over rough and uneven roads orstreets Without sudden jerks, and the animal drawing the load has moreperfect control of the vehicle, the spring attachment taking up all theslack that usually obtains in vehicles not having such springattachment. More work also can be got out of an animal with thisattachment, from the fact that there is no shock to the horses shouldersin passing over rough or uneven roads, streets, or obstructions. It alsoprevents the lracking of carriage-tops caused by the sudden jerking ofthe vehicle.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent-n IOO l. In spring attachments for.traceconnectionsof vehicles, the combination, with the singletree of avehicle, of a spring carrying and having pivoted to it at its free endsaid singletree intermediately of its length and a support for the fastend of said spring connected With the shafts or pole of the vehicle,substantially as speciied.

2. In spring attachments for the singletrees of Vehicles, thecombination, With the singletree, of a bifurcated double-coiltree-carrying spring-,and a support for the same connected With theshafts or pole of the Vehicle, said spring being arranged to pass backof and over or above said support and pivoted atits closed free end tothe singletree intermediately of its length, essentially as described.

3. In spring attachments for the singlet-rees and described.

BENJAMIN B. ALLEN.

lfVtnesses:

W. S. CAMP, A. E. GRIBI.

Vfree end of the spring, essentially as shown 3o

